SummaryWhile some see AI in accounting as a threat, it can actually be a valuable tool to help support and streamline your work. Through machine learning, natural language processing, generative AI, and automation, artificial intelligence can take on the tedious tasks of data entry and report generation as well as support strategic decision-making. As AI tools become more capable and more embedded in everyday accounting software, it's important to understand both what they can do and the need for human understanding, judgment, and oversight.

If you want a career with security and growth opportunities, where you can dig into data and create strategies that help clients understand their finances, plan for the future, and build wealth, the knowledge you need starts in college. Most likely, you’re weighing your options between finance vs accounting, as either path will equip you to work with individual clients, small businesses or large corporations, but which major is the best option? 

If you’re in the process of choosing a major, you know that a LOT goes into the decision. You want to be interested in whatever you study, set yourself up for a career you’ll love, and ultimately weigh the pros and cons to see if you’ll succeed. If you’re considering picking accounting, one of the fundamental questions you may ask in this process is: Is accounting hard? Understanding the level of difficulty, advantages of having an accounting degree, and your long-term career goals can help you answer this question and decide if accounting is the right path for you. 

If you are planning a career in tax preparation, one of the first requirements you will encounter is the Preparer Tax Identification Number, or PTIN. It is a simple registration that begins where tax preparation becomes regulated professional work.

The journey to becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) has always rested on three requirements: education, experience, and passing the CPA Exam. For decades, the education piece meant one thing in nearly every state: 150 hours of college credit, roughly a bachelor's degree plus a fifth year of school.

If you've decided to become an Enrolled Agent, your next big decision is how you'll prepare for the IRS Special Enrollment Examination (SEE), more commonly known as the EA Exam. Search for EA Exam prep and you'll find everything from free question banks to low-cost apps to full review courses and more—and the price gap between these can be significant. It's tempting to let price make the call.

For accountants in India, the U.S. CPA license has become one of the most practical ways to build a global career without leaving home. You can sit for every section of the CPA Exam at Prometric test centers in India, and many Indian professionals now work on U.S. engagements for multinational companies, shared service centers, and global accounting firms.

Once you've committed to earning the Certified Internal Auditor® (CIA®) certification, the next choice is how you'll prepare for the three-part CIA Exam. The options range widely: free practice questions, inexpensive question-bank subscriptions, self-study textbooks, and full review courses, often at very different price points.

Advancing your career as an internal auditor means earning your Certified Internal Auditor (CIA®) certification. But if you already have a related professional certification, you may be eligible to join the streamlined CIA Challenge Exam program, which lets you get on the fast track to being a CIA. 

Periodically, we like to share CPA success stories with our readers. This first-person account was written by Llonae Popley Ballintine. When people ask me why I chose accounting, I often think back to my childhood. Growing up in an immigrant family, money management was not an abstract concept—it was part of everyday life.